Photographic processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A carrier for use in processing photographic sheet material, in which a hollow cylindical drum is provided on its inner surface with spaced rods for retaining the sheets arcuately in the drum, the main body portion of each rod being each concavely curvilinear in cross-section with a shank interconnecting the body portion with the inner surface of the drum. The rods are preferably selectively insertable in slots located on the inner surface of the drum at spaced intervals around its periphery.

United States Patent [1 1 Ratowsky 1 Apr. 22, 1975 PI'IOTOGRAPI-IICPROCESSING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Simon Ratowsky, Downsview,

Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Monrick Holding Limited,

Downsview, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1973 [21] App]. No.:331,787

[52] US. Cl 354/335; 354/343 [51] Int. Cl. G03d 13/02 [58] Field ofSearch 95/93, 96, 97, 98, 100;

29/D1G. 47, 157.3 A, 193; 269/99, 100, 283; 248/223, 225; 211/7, 46, 94

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.304.850 2/1967 Gall 95/933.511,555 5/1970 OBrien 350/117 3.623.416 11/1971 Anderberg 95/933,693,529 9/1972 Stablcr 95/93 3,727,535 4/1973 Streeter 95/93 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 484.930 9/1953 Italy 95/93 565,314 7/1957 Italy95/96 Primary E.\'aminer-Fred L. Braun [57] ABSTRACT A carrier for usein processing photographic sheet material, in which a hollow cylindicaldrum is provided on its inner surface with spaced rods for retaining thesheets arcuately in the drum, the main body portion of each rod beingeach concavely curvilinear in crosssection with a shank interconnectingthe body portion with the inner surface of the drum. The rods arepreferably selectively insertable in slots located on the inner surfaceof the drum at spaced intervals around its periphery.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS Thisinvention relates to the processing of photographic material.

One type of apparatus used in processing photographic material consistsof a carrier in which one or more photographic sheets is arcuatelydisposed inside an axially rotatable drum. Preferably longitudinalflanges are located on the inside surface of the drum to hold the sheetsin arcuate position against the drum wall. To process the sheets, thedrum is closed and liquid processing chemicals are introduced into thedrum. The drum is then rolled with its longitudinal axis disposedhorizontally.

By a method as disclosed in applicants US. Pat. No. 3,705,544 issuedDec. 12, 1972 the cylindrical processing drum is also oscillated about apoint on its axis as the drum is rotated, to form a wave in the liquidchemical moving back and forth along the drum. Because the drum isrolling, the wave travels along a helical path and strikes thelongitudinal flanges retaining the photographic sheets. This causessplashing of the liquid chemical which marks the sheets and reduces thequality of the finished product. A similar problem arises if the drum isrolled without oscillation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedretaining device for the inside surface of a photographic processingdrum which will inhibit splashing of liquid chemical when the drum isrotated.

An example embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a drum carrying aretaining rod of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one end of the drum of FIG. I,carrying removable retaining rods;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the drum of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of a segment of the drum of FIG. 3.

The embodiment shown in the drawings consists of a photographic sheetmaterial carrier comprising a hollow. cylindrical drum 12 and a pair ofend closure caps 14. Drum 12 has a pair of cams 16 on its outer surfacefor oscillating the carrier about a fulcrum on its axis when the drum ishorizontally disposed and rotated.

Inner surface 18 of drum 12 carries a plurality of spaced retaining rods20 longitudinally disposed parallel to the axis of the drum. Each rod 20has a main body portion 22 substantially circular in crosssection and aparallel, radial shank 24 lying in the plane of the axis of the mainbody portion. Shank 24 comprises a pair of flanges 26 having outwardlydiverging side walls 28 as seen in cross-section in FIG. 4.

Inner surface 18 of drum 12 also carries a plurality of spaced,longitudinally disposed slots 30. Each slot 30 is formed by a pair ofspaced, parallel tongues 32 having inwardly converging side walls 34.Shank 24 of a rod 20 is longitudinally receivable slidably in a slot 30as seen in FIG. 2. Preferably shank 24 fits snugly in slot 28 with sidewalls 28 of the shank frictionally engaging side walls 34 of the slot.End caps 14 may also serve to retain rods 20 in slots 30 by preventingtheir longitudinal movement when the carrier is closed.

Slots 18 are located at a number of different positions on the innercircumference of drum 12 for selective use to accommodate differentsizes of photographic sheet material. Drum 12 also carries on its innersurface 18 a plurality of shallow ribs 36 parallel to slots 30.

In the operation of the device, rods 20 are inserted into slots 30 atarcuately spaced distances around the periphery of drum 12 correspondingto the lengths or widths of sheets 40 of photographic material to beprocessed. Sheets 40 are then inserted into drum 10 between pairs ofrods 20 to lie arcuately against ribs 36, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. Drum12 is then closed by end caps 14, a predetermined amount of liquidprocessing chemical is introduced into the drum through one of the endcaps, carrier 10 is disposed horizontally, and the carrier is rotated tooscillate about a fulcrum on its axis, causing a continuous wave in theliquid chemical to move spirally back and forth along the drum. As thewave impinges on rod 20 the configuration of main body portion 22 of therod inhibits splashing, allowing liquid to flow more smoothly over therod.

It will be appreciated that the cross-sectional shape of main bodyportion 22 of rod 20 may be other than circular but it must be convexlycurvilinear (of which a circular shape is an example) to allow theliquid chemical to flow over it.

I claim:

1. In a carrier for use in processing photographic sheet material, saidcarrier comprising a hollow cylindrical drum having end closing means, aplurality of spaced retaining rods longitudinally disposed in parallelrelationship along the inner surface of the drum, each of said rodshaving a main body portion convexly curvilinear in cross-section and ashank interconnecting the main body portion with the drum surface tospace the main body portion a predetermined distance from the drumsurface, said rods being spaced apart around the inner surface of thedrum whereby a sheet of said photographic material is receivable betweena pair of said rods to lie arcuately therebetween concentrically withthe inner surface of the drum.

2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 in which the main body portion of therod is circular in cross-section.

3. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 in which the rods are removable fromthe drum.

4. A carrier as claimed in claim 3 in which the drum has a plurality ofspaced longitudinal slots disposed on the inner surface thereof, theshanks of the rods being longitudinally receivable slidably in selectedslots.

5. A carrier as claimed in claim 4 in which the shank of each rod isoutwardly diverging in cross-section and each slot is formed by a pairof spaced, parallel tongues located on the inner surface of the drum andhaving inwardly converging side walls.

6. A carrier as claimed in claim 5 in which the shank comprises a pairof diverging flanges.

1. In a carrier for use in processing photographic sheet material, saidcarrier comprising a hollow cylindrical drum having end closing means, aplurality of spaced retaining rods longitudinally disposed in parallelrelationship along the inner surface of the drum, each of said rodshaving a main body portion convexly curvilinear in cross-section and ashank interconnecting the main body portion with the drum surface tospace the main body portion a predetermined distance from the drumsurface, said rods being spaced apart around the inner surface of thedrum whereby a sheet of said photographic material is receivable betweena pair of said rods to lie arcuately therebetween concentrically withthe inner surface of the drum.
 1. In a carrier for use in processingphotographic sheet material, said carrier comprising a hollowcylindrical drum having end closing means, a plurality of spacedretaining rods longitudinally disposed in parallel relationship alongthe inner surface of the drum, each of said rods having a main bodyportion convexly curvilinear in cross-section and a shankinterconnecting the main body portion with the drum surface to space themain body portion a predetermined distance from the drum surface, saidrods being spaced apart around the inner surface of the drum whereby asheet of said photographic material is receivable between a pair of saidrods to lie arcuately therebetween concentrically with the inner surfaceof the drum.
 2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 in which the main bodyportion of the rod is circular in cross-section.
 3. A carrier as claimedin claim 1 in which the rods are removable from the drum.
 4. A carrieras claimed in claim 3 in which the drum has a plurality of spacedlongitudinal slots disposed on the inner surface thereof, the shanks ofthe rods being longitudinally receivable slidably in selected slots. 5.A carrier as claimed in claim 4 in which the shank of each rod isoutwardly diverging in cross-section and each slot is formed by a pairof spaced, parallel tongues located on the inner surface of the drum andhaving inwardly converging side walls.